It's Going to be Okay
by AngelOfPride
Summary: In the declining darkness, he heard his mother's whisper, "It's going to be okay. I don't know how yet, but it will...I promise." No cat lives forever, and like all others, Goldenflower's time eventually runs out. Brambleclaw does his best to be strong. For her sake.


"-And then Leopardstar started yelling in Onestar's face and he was screaming back and it was just crazy; isn't that crazy?"

"mmhmm." Brambleclaw grunted, his amber gaze fixed on the forest ahead of him with a furrowed brow.

Beside him, Squirrelflight heaved an irritated sigh, and he felt the slight burn of her narrowed emerald eyes in the side of his face, "Brambleclaw, have you been listening to a word I've said?!"  
It took the sharp sting of her tail whipping against his back for the tabby tom to jolt out of his daze and face her, wincing, "Sorry..."  
Squirrelflight's eyes widened slightly, ears flattening as she took in his dull eyes and drooping head, "You...you look terrible."

Brambleclaw huffed, quickening his pace despite his paws' protests and looking ahead again as the lake came into view, "Great. Thanks for that."  
"No, no! Wait, Brambleclaw, I didn't mean it like that!" in a heartbeat the fiery pelted she-cat was beside him again, nimble paws lightly gliding through the leaf litter in an effort to keep up with his heavy trudging.

"I just...I don't think this is healthy- you look like you haven't slept in days." Squirrelflight pressed, "I'm the last cat to promote laziness but you definitely shouldn't be out hunting like this."

Brambleclaw twitched his tail with a sigh, not meeting her gaze, "I'm fine."  
"No you're not! Now you will go back to camp and just sleep for the afternoon or I swear to Starclan I will-"  
The tabby whirled around with his eyes wide with a sudden distress so suddenly that Squirrelflight was forced to stop in her tracks.  
"No, I can't! I just want to be out of camp- I don't want to sleep, I don't want to relax, I just want to be...just anywhere but there!"  
Squirrelflight stared at the tom and then, without warning, sat back on her haunches, sharp features set in a steady determination, "Sit."

Brambleclaw blinked at her in confusion, but the slight narrow her her eyes and his own exhaustion soon forced his own legs to fold until he sat before the she-cat beside the shore of the lake.

Squirrelflight turned her head to look over the water as the sun's rays glittered upon it, her face more solemn than Brambleclaw could ever remember, "She's not going to get better, is she?" she mewed quietly.

Brambleclaw winced at her words, biting back the sob that was currently forming in his throat.

"I know that it's hard." the she-cat continued, her shoulders shaking as a humourless chuckle escaped her, "I remember every time I've seen Firestar lose a life...but I guess that's a little different."  
Brambleclaw looked down at his large paws, shuddering, "She doesn't deserve it..."  
"Of course she doesn't." Squirrelflight assured him, and he felt her tail entwine around his own, "But you can't keep pretending it isn't happening, Brambleclaw. Soon, Goldenflower is going to-"  
"Don't say it."

"...I won't...but I think _you_ should. Out loud."  
Brambleclaw clenched his jaw until it ached, hunching his broad shoulders like a kit, "She's the only one that I knew would always be there."

"Say it..."  
"She only ever wanted to protect us...no-no matter what _he_ was, she's always been good." his voice was trembling now, and Squirrelflight's flank pressed against his.

"You have to accept it, Brambleclaw."  
The lump in his throat loosened as a sob escaped his throat, and the huge tom's legs buckled beneath him as he whimpered, "She's dying. My mother is going to die."

Immediately Squirrelflight was bent over him, licking his forehead and whispering words of comfort as he shook, the grief overwhelming him.

"It's going to be okay. I don't pretend to know how, but it will. I promise." 

_"What are you going to do with them?"_  
 _"What am I going to- For Starclan's sake, Speckletail, these are my kits, and your kin! Not some scraps of fresh kill that I found by the thunderpath!"_  
 _Bramblekit furrowed his brow in confusion, staring out from behind his mother's tail. Beside him, Tawnykit lay still curled up with her eyes closed as though asleep, but he saw the give away twitch of her tiny body and flattening of her ears._

 _Across the nursery, he saw Speckletail narrow her yellow eyes at him warily, seemingly unfazed by his mother's furious hiss, "But they aren't just your kits. They're_ his _too."_  
 _The tail around Bramblekit tightened suddenly, and he glanced up at Goldenflower to see her usually soft features contorted in an unrecognisable scowl as she snarled, "Enough, mother! I won't hear of it any more!"_  
 _Speckletail let out a huff of exasperation, and Bramblekit shrank against his mother's golden fur as the older she-cat rose to her paws stiffly and cast another narrowed glare at him, "I'm just saying- don't let affection cloud your judgement. Again."_

 _Goldenflower spat after the older queen as she slipped out of the nursery, leaving them alone in the darkness._

 _Bramblekit stared after her in confusion and hurt. His mother's mother had always seemed fond of he and Tawnykit- she let them chase her tail, watched them when Goldenflower went out; when he had first opened his eyes she had been crouched beside his mother purring with pride._

'What did we do wrong? _'_ _he wondered._

 _The kit didn't realise that he was shaking until he felt a soothing lick between his ears and looked up to see Goldenflower's face, gentle and loving once again, her yellow eyes glowing with emotion in the dim light, "I'm sorry that you had to listen to that, little warrior." she sighed._

 _Bramblekit lifted his large forepaws to rest them against her muzzle, "Why is Speckletail upset? Doesn't she like us anymore?" he squeaked, twitching his whiskers in confusion._

 _Goldenflower winced, and her breath warmed his fur as she sighed, "No, little warrior- whatever she may say, she could never hate you. Speckletail is just...shocked and confused. She'll be her old self soon enough."_

 _"What happened?" the kit pressed, tilting his head._

 _Goldenflower smiled gently, "Nothing important." she stated simply, but Bramblekit still saw the concern in her face. However, he settled down when she gently nudged him between her forepaws, and closed his eyes as she turned to lift up Tawnykit's still form and place her gently beside him._

 _In the declining darkness, he heard his mother's whisper, "It's going to be okay. I don't know how yet, but it will...I promise."_

"Brambleclaw! Thank Starclan!"  
Leafpool appeared across the clearing and pelted towards the tabby tom as he trudged in with Squirrelflight beside him. What had started as a gentle patter of rain had escalated rapidly, and all around the camp cats hurried for cover.  
However, Leafpool seemed unconcerned by the rainwater seeping into her tabby fur as she quickly reached the tom, amber eyes wide, "I was about to send somebody out to find you!"  
Brambleclaw's heart dropped at her urgency, "What is it?"

Leafpool glanced at her sister, then back at him, her ears drooping, "It's Goldenflower. I think Starclan is ready to take her. She's fighting for now, but...there's nothing more that I can do for her."  
Brambleclaw felt his heart pounding as Squirrelflight gently nudged him, rubbing her head against his soaking wet shoulder reassuringly before stepping away and allowing Leafpool to guide him to the medicine den.

"Mousefur, Longtail, Firestar and Sandstorm are with her. Saying their goodbyes." Leafpool explained gently, and Brambleclaw nodded numbly.

The sound of wet rustling made him turn his head to the warriors den, where he saw Ashfur poking his head out from beneath the shelter. He expected to see the usual coldness in the grey tom's pale blue gaze, but he saw something different this time. Pity. Empathy.

Shivering, Brambleclaw turned forward again and slid into the medicine den after Leafpool.

He stopped, wincing.

Goldenflower lay with her back to the den entrance, her flank shuddering in heaving gasps for air. By her head, Mousefur and Longtail were crouching with their shoulders brushing, gently stroking their tails across the old she-cat's head and murmuring softly to her. Firestar and Sandstorm sat nearby, their green eyes clouded with grief.

Leafpool cleared her throat and Sandstorm's head shot up, her eyes widening with sympathy as she saw Brambleclaw behind her daughter. The pale ginger she-cat pressed her nose gently against Goldenflower's flank, murmuring something and closing her eyes tightly before standing straight and padding over to Brambleclaw. She didn't say a word, just leaned against him for a moment as though trying to share her strength before disappearing into the rain.

Firestar rose to his feet and ran his tail across the lenth of Goldenflower's body before he too trudged up to the tabby tom and rested his forehead against Brambleclaw's gently, "Be brave. Be as brave as she has been." he meowed softly before following his mate outside, flicking his tail for Leafpool to follow.

Brambleclaw flattened his ears and padded forwards again; he just managed to catch the end of Mousefur's words;

"- is here now, Goldenflower. He's going to sit with you."

"A-And...Taw-Tawnypaw?"  
Brambleclaw felt claws squeeze his heart as Mousefur quickly began hushing his mother and licking her face when her breathing grew frantic.

"Tawnypelt is safe in Shadowclan, Goldenfower, remember?" Longtail reminded her gently, "She's safe."  
Goldenflower nodded after a moment, a jolting and uncontrolled movement before dropping her head with a heavy sigh, "o-oh...oh yes..."  
Mousefur and Longtail smiled, nuzzling the golden tabby fondly before sitting up.  
"We're going to go outside now, Goldenflower, alright?"  
"A-alright..."

The two elders limped around the she-cat's huddled form, and Brambleclaw saw Mousefur's smile crumble in grief the second they were out of Goldenflower's sight. Longtail ran his tail across Brambleclaw's flank as they left, and he heard Mousefur's mournful whimpers slowly drowned out by the rain.

Taking a deep breath, Brambleclaw padded forward, "Goldenflower?" he called softly, his voice hoarse to his own ears.

One of the old she-cat's ears swivelled round, and she slowly twisted her head back round to look for her son, "B-brambleclaw?"  
"Yes, Goldenflower. It's me." Brambleclaw meowed softly, carefully laying down and curling around the she-cat's small, shaking body, her spine pressed against his flank.

Goldenflower's yellow gaze locked onto his own and a smile broke across her face, "So it is..." she rasped, "My-my brave little kit...not so little anymore."  
Brambleclaw smiled, though his chest ached painfully, "I grew up, Goldenflower."  
"You did.." Goldenflower let out a rusty purr, "I-I'm very proud of the cat you have become...my son...d-deputy of Thunderclan..."  
Brambleclaw couldn't help the whimper that escaped him as Goldenflower shifted her chin to settle it on his paws, her breath ruffling his fur, "I wouldn't be this cat if it weren't for you. I owe you so much."

"Nonsense." Goldenflower huffed, her body shuddering, "You were destined to be you. Y-you've suffered for crimes that weren't yours and...and come out so much better for it.."

She raised her eyes to look at his face, her eyes dull yet full of love. She suddenly let out a jolting chuckle.

"What is it?" Brambleclaw mewed.  
"A-All those years of being compared to Tigerclaw and yet..."  
"And yet?"  
Goldenflower grinned, "I still think you look more like me..."  
Brambleclaw shuddered and licked her cheek, "I love you, mother." he whispered, pressing his nose into her fur.

"I love you too, Br-brambleclaw." Goldenflower sighed, "Be brave, a-and don't be too sad; I'm not. I-I will miss you, but I'm going to see my other kits," her yellow gaze brightened just a little, "It will be good to Swiftpaw and Lynxkit again..."  
Brambleclaw closed his eyes and nodded, "May Starclan light your path, Goldenflower..."  
He continued to lick her pelt softly as she closed her eyes. Even as her breaths slowed, that loving smile remained on her face; up until she was completely still.

"...Goodbye mother..."


End file.
